Fire and smoke protection doors for the Minto in Mönchengladbach

Reference report Franzen doors in the Minto Shopping Center

With the opening of the Minto in March 2015, Germany's first 4-star shopping centre also opened its doors. Since then, visitors have been able to find a mix of shopping, entertainment, gastronomy and recreation on an area of just under 42,000 square metres spread over four levels on Hindenburgstraße in the city centre of Mönchengladbach. Fire and smoke protection is of central importance in order to ensure the safety of the large number of visitors who appear daily. The special solutions in the area of fire and smoke protection doors came from Franzen Feuerschutzüren from Erkelenz. They supplied doors for special requirements in the highly frequented indoor and outdoor areas as well as for the technical area of the Minto.

Special solutions for maximum comfort and safety

In addition to the usual fire and smoke protection closures, special solutions had to be installed in the Minto to ensure the safety of all visitors and employees, while at the same time complying with the unique external construction. In addition, special doors were required for the transformer area. The company Franzen Feuerschutzüren was commissioned to find a solution for these complex requirements. The door manufacturer based in Erkelenz, which has been manufacturing fire-resistant doors since 1972, covers the entire door portfolio in all possible dimensions and equipment and specializes in the manufacture of special solutions.

Fire protection and high frequency of use taken into account

For fire protection, Franzen relied on three door types which were individually manufactured according to the requirements profile. In the food court area, for example, several double-leaf T90-RS fire protection lightweight doors measuring 250 - 280 x 220 centimeters were installed, which also serve as fire, smoke and escape doors. The doors are not only intended to provide access to the escape routes, but also to give service personnel access to their workspaces. Accordingly, taking all standards into account, these have been equipped with special easy running hinges with patented metal-polymer composite plain bearings to simplify manual operation of the door leaves as well as with fully automatic opening and closing mechanisms, which are completely shut down in the event of a fire, says Andreas Deppe, Managing Director of Franzen Fire Protection Doors. T90 single-leaf doors were also installed, which are used both for personnel access and for access to emergency escape areas. Here too, our smooth running doors guarantee an opening with little effort and thus a high level of safety.

External doors adapted to architecture

Franzen T30 doors designed for outdoor use, which have been specially adapted to the curved aluminium-cobound exterior facade. The necessary approvals in individual cases were obtained by the system provider for Schröder's fire, smoke, burglar and noise protection system, in whose license Franzen manufactures, from the Ministry of Building, Housing, Urban Development and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. Deppe explains: As a manufacturer, we manufacture under license from System Schröders. Through this cooperation, we can fall back on versatile, tested and approved products. Thanks to this expertise, we are also able to produce special designs that require special approval. The facade also features doors from Franzen of the Schröder ASN-1 System Schröder type in accordance with DIN EN 14351-1. In addition to providing burglar resistance and acoustic performance, they also serve as an escape door to the staircase area of the Minto and thus enable escape from the parking deck in an emergency.

Special doors also for technical areas

Franzen supplied the special solutions required for the rooms in which the transformers of the Minto are accommodated in the form of its Franzen TR transformer doors. These 250 x 280 cm, double-leaf doors have a maximum ventilation cross section and are very robust due to their special construction. In the case of an electric arc, the doors provide a defined pressure relief and minimize the risk of damage to the building fabric, which can occur inside the room if the pressure rises due to increased air temperature. At the same time, they offer a very good heat exchange during normal operation thanks to their large ventilation slots.

As almost every construction project has done in the meantime, the Minto did not come up without individual special solutions Deppe summarizes the project. Due to our experience in the field of special door production, we were able to offer the client an extensive portfolio of solutions, with which we were able to meet all the requirements that were necessary for the completion of the Minto with its unusual appearance and exclusive appearance. The expertise of our partner System Schröders additionally supported us in completing the order to the complete satisfaction of our customer within the given time frame.